How does Chiropractic help pregnancy, and what is ‘Text Neck’?

Health-E-News July 2017 empowering you to optimal health

Can Chiropractic Treatment Help Pregnancy?

Pregnant women go through many changes during the time before baby arrives, from prenatal visits to diet changes. Visiting the doctor during pregnancy can allow for questions to be answered and baby to be checked on, and many women like to get more information on how to treat the pains that come with a growing belly and baby.

In addition to what the doctor may be able to provide, women whom are pregnant would benefit from chiropractic treatment in order to cure some of those aches and pains. Chiropractic care not only can offer some pain relief, but it can help keep baby in position in utero, while you benefit from your regular prenatal care. If you’ve ever wondered if it was safe to visit the chiropractor during pregnancy, here is a look at why it’s not only safe, but also a huge benefit to pregnant women.

Why chiropractic care is great for pregnancy

Since your chiropractor already works to keep your body in alignment and keeping your body’s functions working properly, it only makes sense that he or she would be able to assist in keeping baby healthy and aligned as well.

Your regular chiropractic care helps to keep regular aches and pains at bay, just like this care can do for a pregnant woman experiencing common pregnancy pains. When the body is aligned regularly, it allows for common pains like back pains, headaches, and fatigue to work itself out, but when a pregnant woman gets treatment from the chiropractor during a change in the body, it can work to reduce the pain associated with these changes during the nine months.

What does the chiropractor do for a pregnant woman?

Pregnancy causes many changes in the body, from changes in the curve of the back to the protrusion of the abdomen. Chiropractic care is a great way to ease symptoms of changes in the back and abdomen, as well as the ligaments, pelvis, and overall musculoskeletal system as your body grows. Keeping the pelvis aligned and balanced, just like you would for the tires of your car, allows for a better position for the baby when it’s time to delivery or as your car drives down the road.

Benefits for pregnant women and babies

Along with reducing the pain of pregnancy, you’ll find many benefits from chiropractic visits. It’s going to offer an overall maintenance of a healthy pregnancy, but its’ aslo going to reduce your labor and delivery time, control your morning sickness, and relieve pain in the back, neck, and joints. It has even shown to lower the chances of C-section. You’ll find relief from your lower back pain and all of this is done with a non-invasive non-pharmaceutical method.

The baby will benefit too. There is a technique that was developed called Webster’s Technique which was created by a chiropractor to help with reducing the effects of sacral subluxation, or a misalignment in the sacrum. This is found at the base of the spine between your pelvic bones, and the technique works to reduce the chances of joint dysfunction since the sacroiliac joints attach the pelvis and the sacrum. By relieving this musculoskeletal area which causes intrauterine constraint, the baby is less likely to be breach and need a C-section due to relief from Webster’s Technique.

If you weren’t sure about getting chiropractic treatment during your pregnancy, be sure to prioritize this natural option, alongside your regular doctor’s appointments, to help ensure a healthy pregnancy and delivery.

If you or your child suffers from Otitis Media (ear infections), Chiropractic Care can help!

In this case study, Chiropractic care helped a 2-year-old girl who suffered with with chronic otitis media (chronic ear infections), difficulty sleeping, irritability, skin sensitivities to clothes and avoided being held or touched.

Otitis media is defined as inflammation of the middle ear and is one of the most common infections in children that are sick. Some factors that increase the risk of experiencing otitis media are family history, males, formula fed infants, exposure to second hand smoke, seasonal effects and allergies.

In this case study, a 2-year old infant was brought in to see a Chiropractor for care. The child’s mother reported that it would take at least 2 hours to get the child to sleep and she would not sleep for more than 4 hours at a time. Case history shows that the child has had over 20 ear infections, severe allergies, and behaviour problems including temper tantrums.

After Chiropractic care, the child showed immediate results. After three adjustments, the child was able to sleep through the night for the first time. After the fourth adjustment, fewer outbursts were noted. After four months of care her ear infections had resolved, she consistently slept through the night, her skin sensitivities had resolved and she did not have issues with being held or touched.

Why Does Your Neck Hurt When you Wake Up?

It’s no fun to wake up with neck pain in the morning. After a restful night of sleep, it’s important to wake up feeling refreshed and ready to start the day. Pain of any kind can ruin that feeling before you’ve even had a chance to start a morning workout. If you’re waking up with neck pain in the morning, you are likely sleeping in a way that is unhealthy for your body.

Whether it’s your sleep position, your pillow choice, or something else, it’s time to solve this problem and get you waking up feeling great again. Take a look at a few reasons that your neck might hurt when you wake up and see how you can correct this issue tonight.

How pillows affect your sleep

It may sound strange but choosing the right pillow is very important for your nightly slumber. Choosing a pillow that is too full and causes your head to rest too high compared to the rest of your body is going to cause some problems. You also should watch out for old foam pillows, feather pillows that bunch up in the wrong ways, or a pillow that’s gone too flat. One of the main causes of your neck pain is likely twisting it or bending it too far in a direction for a long period of time, a common problem with a poor pillow selection.

Choose a pillow that works for you individually. Everyone has their own preferences of comfort but pillows should properly support your head and neck in the right position. The goal is to avoid losing the slight curve of your neck when you are lying on the pillow. Choose a pillow that prevents neck pain and choose one based on your sleeping position of your back, your side, or your stomach.

Types of pillows and how they work for or against you

How do you determine the right type of pillow that will work well for a good night’s rest? There are many options to choose from that will offer a variety of levels of support on your neck. You want a pillow that will keep your neck in that neutral, natural position because otherwise, your neck will be at risk for bending or twisting for a long period of time.

Common options for pillows include your standard feather pillows that will mold nicely to the shape of your head with little resistance, orthopedic pillows for a more modern option that maintains the natural curve of your neck, and cervical pillows that offer a roll-shaped design to encourage the relief of neck pain. You can also try a water-filled pillow which will help absorb and redistribute your head’s weight to allow for the perfect amount of support. You can alter the amount of support in a water pillow by adding or removing water.

Make sure to choose a pillow that best supports your favorite sleep position, with your back and side being optimal choices for proper sleep.

Sleeping positions and neck pain

The way you sleep is often another reason that you end up with neck pain in the morning. It also coincides with the type of pillow you’re choosing. It’s common that people will choose the right pillow but when their sleep position changes it no longer is the optimal pillow to be using. Back sleepers will find that sleeping on a neck roll that supports the neck but also allows the head to drop back works best. Side sleepers wouldn’t do well with this option though as they need a thicker pillow with a high density foam to allow for enough thickness to cover the distance for the side of the head and the outside edge of the shoulder.

If you do happen to sleep on your stomach, your neck is more likely to hurt and no pillow is going to be able to correct this issue. Lying on your front side with your head rotated for a long period of time is really hard on your neck and could start to cause imbalances in your neck. Try to sleep on your back with a neck roll to support the curve or on your side with a thicker pillow. Sometimes having multiple pillows for these different sleeping positions is the best solution.

Support your head is the most important thing you can do at night and if you are choosing the wrong pillow or sleeping in a funny position, you are bound to wake up with neck pain. Start waking up refreshed by talking to your chiropractor about the best pillow options for your body.

Improvements seen in a child with Pervasive Developmental Disorder undergoing Chiropractic care

If your child has been diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder, Chiropractic care may help.

A child is diagnosed with autistic disorder based on problems in social interaction skills, communication skills and repetitive or restrictive behavior and or interests. Other problems noted in autism is the lack of meaningful language skills, empathic abilities, motor in coordination, and problems with executive functioning. Children with autism never develop communicative speech therefore become easily distressed with normal everyday life occurrences and activities.

In this case study, a 3 year old diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder is presented to chiropractic care. The child had communication problems, apraxia and speech delay. Prior to seeking chiropractic care; the child has also been visiting a speech pathologist, developmental pediatrician, occupational therapist and an applied behavioural analyst. Physical examination revealed diminished range of motion, poor gait coordination and foot position abnormalities. Stimulation of cranial nerves was also found to be insufficient; sensory function, alertness, communication skills and oculo-motor tracking difficulties.

The chiropractic care plan consisted of 1 visit per week with a reassessment every month. A diversified technique was used during each adjustment. After the first reassessments, foot position abnormalities and cranial nerve insufficiencies were resolved. Other health care providers also reported the patient was performing much better following chiropractic care. By the final reassessment, the patient has continued to improve and respond well to treatment. The patient has reported to start attending school again and teachers reported much growth in the child’s abilities. The patient had also made friends, become more interactive and overall happier.

Overall, this cases study shows the success of chiropractic care in the improvement in the physical functioning, quality of life and social function of a young male suffering from pervasive developmental disorder.